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Check It Out: November 14, 2018

Your monthly news from the OPS Library Services Staff

Fun Book Display Ideas

Books from the Bottom Shelf

Level Up in the Library

Salute to Service

Don't Be a Creeper, Read!

Guess the Theme

Black Friday Deals (Display of books with black covers)

Nick Bruel Author Visit - January 30

Nick Bruel is the author and illustrator of New York Times bestseller Boing, Bad Kitty, Bad Kitty Gets a Bath and Bad Kitty Meets the Baby, among others. He will visit one lucky school at no cost!

Date of visit: January 30. This will be an afternoon visit.

Who may enter? All elementary librarians (most suitable for intermediate grades) who did not win an Eric Litwin visit.

How can I win? Make your entry stand out!! (Well written, lots of great ideas to involve your students, teachers, before, during and after the visit). This can include activities before, during and after the visit. We have a TAC language arts supervisor colleague choose the winner, so polish your proposal before you submit it.

To submit, you will provide the following information:

  • school name
  • your name
  • permission of principal
  • explanation of what your school will do to make the Nick Bruel visit special.

Submission Form

Hurry!  Entries due by November 16.

Book Page Ornaments

Just in case you need a project over the long weekend next week... Repurposed book pages.

Mindsets for Learning (Library & Inquiry Mindset) Judi Morreillon

At its core, an “inquiry mindset” is about openness—an openness to explore, think, learn, create, share, and grow.

An Inquiry Mindset
Couros’s comment aligns with what I believe could be called an “inquiry mindset.” Inquiry involves empowered students (and adult learners, too) in taking charge of their learning. During inquiry, students apply knowledge, skills, and dispositions and create new knowledge for themselves and for others. Inquiry requires planning and facilitating on the educators’ parts. School librarians and other educators who teach with an “inquiry mindset” and guide students in the self-empowerment of inquiry learning may make connections to Couros’s idea of “continuous creation.”

Inquiry learning “is an instructional framework that consists of a number of phases that begin with engaging students in the topic and end with the student presenting and reflecting on their new knowledge” (Moreillon 2018, 173). Along the way, students are engaged in a process of information-seeking that builds literacies, knowledge, skills, and dispositions. (Educators can apply inquiry by asking and answering their questions related to problems of practice in order to improve instruction, school climate and culture, or other educational challenges.)

In a collaborative culture school, an inquiry mindset can personalize learning for individual students, groups of students, and for educators as well. When educators embrace an “inquiry mindset” for teaching and learning in the classroom and library, they show respect for students’ ability to direct their own learning. An inquiry mindset can help set up the conditions that unleash students’ creativity and increase their motivation to explore information and ideas. The same can be said for educators who apply an inquiry mindset to their own professional learning and their collaborative learning with their colleagues (see Chapter 3: Inquiry Learning.)

Who Ya Gonna Call...or Email?

The fastest way to get your questions answered is to contact the right person!

  • Laura Pietsch (531) 299-9615: Policy, personnel and evaluation, Sherwood grants and building projects
  • Stacy Lickteig (531) 299-9614: Technology, cataloging, copyright, budget and ordering
  • Courtney Pentland (531) 299-9609:  Inquiry, professional library, newsletter Items; Secondary Review Committee; secondary author visits, skype visits
  • McKenzie White (531) 299-9362 Instructional technology , ITL Program

  • Gwen Jackson  Elementary author visits

Technology Training/Support

  • Debra Bordenkecher  531-299-9841: Handles training needs of classified staff (including paraprofessionals)
  • Hardware issues should be handled by your building assigned technologist. If this person is not in the building, call or email the Help Desk 531-299-0300

CSM Best Museum Apps and Websites for Kids

Best Museum Apps and Websites for Students

Museum websites offer students opportunities to pore over the world's priceless collections from the comfort of home or the classroom. These museum and archival websites offer an immense collection of primary and secondary resources for research into the depths of history, culture, and society, both in the U.S. and around the world. Many also feature lesson plans, interactives, and other resources aimed specifically at classrooms, making it easier to connect curriculum to museum artifacts and documents. Teachers should also make sure to check out the opportunities a few sites offer for professional development, or, even better, field trip support if one of these institutions happens to be close to home.

***Remember apps need to be approved before use.  Check the app approval tool in the waffle to see if these apps have been approved and to request that an app be reviewed for approval.

Follett Lightbox

DON'T FORGET!! All elementary schools have a selection of Lightbox books already in their collection.  You can find them on your library page.  A link should be in the bottom right hand corner.

Did you know that Follett has added almost 600 titles to their Lightbox offerings since it launched?  And, that there are now Lightbox books that cover grades K-12?  These interactive eBooks are unlimited, multi-user access and come with a matching hardcover book, all for about $30-60.  This might be great resources to purchase to use in the library or in the classroom.  Check them out today!

In Titlewave click on Shop by Department. Select eBooks and Digital. On the right there is a link to learn more about Lightbox. Click the on that and then there is a button to launch demo.  There you will see books on a variety of topics at all grade levels.

Omaha Public Schools does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, age, genetic information, citizenship status, or economic status in its programs, activities and employment and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following individual has been designated to address inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies: Superintendent of Schools, 3215 Cuming Street, Omaha, NE 68131 (531-299-9822).

Las Escuelas Públicas de Omaha no discriminan basados en la raza, color, origen nacional, religión, sexo, estado civil, orientación sexual, discapacidad , edad, información genética, estado de ciudadanía, o estado económico, en sus programas, actividades y empleo, y provee acceso equitativo a los “Boy Scouts” y a otros grupos juveniles designados. La siguiente persona ha sido designada para atender estas inquietudes referentes a las pólizas de no discriminación: El Superintendente de las Escuelas, 3215 Cuming Street, Omaha, NE 68131 (531-299-9822).